All of us were students once, right?
Come on, you don’t have to deny it. You were imprisoned in this prison they called ‘school’ and there they force you to do the most horrible and dreadful things. Reading, writing and listening to your teachers are among the things they force you to do. Simply and purely outrageous.
Why must Mommy and Daddy put me here? What have I done to be put in here in the first place?
Well, nothing. They’re just doing what the law’s telling them to do. But not only that, they want you to have an education. Education means listening to the monotonous teacher babbling about some guy named Einstein who apparently found out that E equals m and c squared. Like, what the heck?! How would the letter E equal the letter m and the letter c, and what the friggin’ heck is a squared?! The past tense of a square? I mean, what is this?
Anyway, the bell rings and that means its time to go home. (Hurray!) But then, just before you leave the classroom, with high hopes of sleeping and/or playing games, the teacher utters one word that completely demolishes your anticipation.
Homework!
I know that homework is horrible (believe me, I am still getting them) and you have to do them otherwise detention, which is a miniature prison inside the actual prison. You have to do your homework, and you want to play and/or sleep.
To do this, I am going to give you some tips on how to balance your life and education so that you still have time to play and study.
Tip 1: Manage your time wisely
There is a proverb found in the Bible that says:
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.
-Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
This proverb is actually very real. There is a time and place for everything. There is a time to play and time to study. With this in mind, there should be a time allocated for studying and playing. Although school sucks, you have to make sure that study comes first before gaming. I know, that sounds unfair, but if you want to become what you want to become in the future, you have to prioritize studying.
This means doing your homework (whatever it is), finishing projects before the deadline, completing tasks that have to be done, and everything else. An example on how to achieve this is once you get home from school or wherever, start working on these said homeworks. Once you’ve finished it, then you can start relaxing and/or playing games, and whatever it is you want to do. That way, you have less burden on your shoulders.
Managing your time wisely also meas setting up a timetable of activities after school. Your school probably has a timetable allocated for you so that you can attend your classes; this can also be applied for after school. For example:
- 4PM – Homework
- 5PM – Revision of Lessons
- 6PM – Dinner time!
- 7PM – Rest
- 7.30PM – Advanced Studies
- 8.30PM – Sleep
The example above is a timetable that I used to ensure that I have finished my work and have some time to rest.
Another way of managing your time wisely is by setting goals. This is important because it allows you to look forward and plan for that goal to happen. Setting goals may also motivate you to accomplish this and other tasks beyond your goal. Your goal can be to get higher grades, or finishing assessments before the deadline (this can help you get on track and not get distracted); whatever it is, goal-setting is a great way of managing your time and being motivated. If you need help with goal setting, don’t be afraid of asking for help from your teachers or supervisors.
Tip 2: Make sure to get enough sleep
Phones can keep us up at night, while on social media, and browsing the internet. However, not many of us know and understand that sleep is important for your body and brain. There are many articles and websites that tell you that sleep is important, and it is! Not getting the right amount of sleep can be disastrous. When you are sleep deprived, or not getting the right amount of sleep,
- It can impact your short and long-term memory negatively;
- You can have problems concentrating, thinking and solving problems;
- It can make you moody,emotional and quick-tempered;
- It weakens your immune system; and most importantly
- You gain weight!
(Healthline, 11 Effects of Sleep Deprivation)
These are just some of the affects of not getting enough sleep, and already, it can negatively impact your education. Therefore, get enough sleep!
And lastly,
Tip 3: Work as a team!
There is another proverb from New Zealand that is very related:
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari, he toa takitini.
Success is not the work of one, but the work of many.Maori Proverb
It is true, success does not come from your own independent work, but rather a group effort. You may be talented, gifted or an expert in your schoolwork, but more often than not, two heads are better than one! Many people have different background and cultures, as well as ideas and opinions which may benefit you positively.
If you have a project, don’t do it by yourself, even if you know you can. Many hands make light work, and the more the merrier (sometimes). In a team, people can share their thoughts and ideas that may prove to be advantageous to the project and, you may never know, you might get the highest grade!
So, in summary:
- Manage your time wisely,
- Make sure to get enough sleep, and
- Work as a team!
With these three tips, I hope that you can efficiently balance your (social) life and your education.
This is Jedidiah
Be pure and simply you!
